IN PICTURES: Emotional Watto holds last Seniors Christmas Concert ahead of retirement

Retiring Albany MP Peter Watson hosted his 20th and final Seniors Christmas Concert on Sunday, delivering his signature bad jokes to a jolly crowd of 380 at Albany Entertainment Centre.

Mr Watson started the tradition in his first year in Parliament, with about 50 seniors attending a Christmas concert at Mount Lockyer Primary School hall.

It reached a record of 400 guests when it was held at St Joseph’s College last year.

The event started as an ode to his parents, who Mr Watson said rarely had the chance to go out in their senior years.

Each year, the concert ends with their favourite carol, Silent Night.

“My mum and dad went to a retirement village and they didn’t go anywhere, they said there was nothing on for us,” he said.

“I thought well, they are both gone, now maybe I could make it so some of our other seniors can have something to look forward to at the end of each year.”

Mr Watson said some of the most memorable moments from his concerts was donning wacky costumes to entertain the crowd.

“I have been dressed up as the ugly sister, a garden gnome — they have a habit of putting dresses on me,” he said. “There’s been plenty over the years, but I was always the ugly one.

“But that made the seniors laugh and I’d do anything to make those beautiful people laugh.”

Mr Watson said his final concert was an emotional one.

“It was pretty emotional but I do it for my mum and dad and hopefully it has made a lot of people happier,” he said. “I hope whoever becomes the Member for Albany will carry it on.”